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A star is born: The children of famous athletes and what they’re doing now

A star is born: The children of famous athletes and what they’re doing now

Ever wonder what Michael Jordan’s kids are doing? What about Mike Tyson’s? Are they involved in sports, following in their parents’ footsteps, or have they blazed their own path, creating their own legacies?

Here are the children of famous athletes and what they’re up to now.

Zaire Wade

Dwyane Wade’s most famous son, Zaire, is headed into his senior year at Sierra Canyon High School, located outside of Los Angeles. It is here where the younger Wade will be teaming up with LeBron James Jr., who will be a freshman. Zaire has skyrocketed recently as one of the most exciting seniors in the nation, partially because of his last name and partially because of his rapidly evolving skill set.

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As of right now, Zaire has received three scholarship offers to Division I schools — DePaul University, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of Nebraska. However, as Zaire’s senior season progresses, expect the number of schools offering Zaire a coveted scholarship to rise.

Bronny James

The second — and arguably more important star — at Sierra Canyon is LeBron James Jr., nicknamed “Bronny.” The oldest son of LeBron James, Bronny transferred to Sierra Canyon to create a superteam much like his father did years ago when he joined the Heat.

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Despite having a last name that carries a lot of weight, Bronny has shown critics, skeptics, and believers that he belongs on the court. At just 11 years old, he had scholarship offers from Duke and Kentucky. Equally impressive is the massive following Bronny already has, despite being a freshman. One day after creating an Instagram account, Bronny had already amassed over 1 million followers.

Jack Brady

Many people think of Tom Brady as the husband of Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, the mother of two of his children. However, Brady’s oldest son, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, nicknamed “Jack,” is from his first relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan. In an extensive interview with Men’s Health, Brady revealed that “Jack loves sports.”

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He continued, “He wants to try hard, and he never wants to disappoint his dad. That was me.” Brady concluded by telling the magazine that “Jack is just like me — he holds a lot in.” Could that mean that the eldest of Brady’s kids could one day become a GOAT himself?

Marcus Jordan

One would think that the son of the greatest hooper ever would be pretty dang good himself. Alas, that wasn’t the case with Marcus Jordan, Michael’s second-oldest child. Leaving high school, Marcus was rated as one of the country’s top shooting guard prospects. Unfortunately, he wasn’t recruited by his father’s alma mater, UNC.

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Out of all the potential offers, Marcus chose to attend UCF, where he immediately stirred the pot by refusing to wear Adidas sneakers — despite UCF being in the final year of their Adidas deal. Maybe Marcus should have gone to a school outfitted by Nike? Jordan’s college basketball career concluded after three seasons.

Paulina Gretzky

The bulk of Paulina Gretzky’s fame is generated by the males in her life. Her father, Wayne, is considered the greatest hockey player ever. Her husband, Dustin Johnson, is a professional golfer who has three second-place finishes at majors and one victory, the 2016 U.S. Open. Paulina, the eldest sibling in the Gretzky clan, became engaged to Johnson after seven months of dating.

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Together, the couple has two children and they have yet to get married. Although the couple has had some severely tumultuous periods throughout their everlasting engagement, the two appear to be on the right track and headed toward marriage sooner rather than later.

Miguel Tyson

Mike Tyson has fathered seven children, one of them being Miguel Tyson. The son of the former heavyweight champion was filmed in 2018 boxing and showed off an array of deft, powerful punches. However, Miguel Tyson’s father captioned the video that Miguel was only boxing to stay fit, not to get into the sport.

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It’s uncertain whether or not Iron Mike’s progeny will become a boxer, a cannabis enthusiast, actor, or something else entirely — but based on the clip, should he pursue a career in boxing, he’ll have a pretty good coach in his corner. The son of the world’s most aggressive pugilist also has a propensity to strum on the guitar, based on his Instagram, at least.

Laila Ali

Out of Muhammad Ali’s 10 children, Laila is arguably the most famous and successful. An undefeated professional boxer, Laila initially got involved with the sport after her career as a manicurist fizzled out. Ali graduated from Santa Monica College and opened up a nail salon by age 18, but painting nails was infinitely less exciting than throwing haymakers.

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That’s when, much to her father’s dismay, she embarked on a wildly successful boxing career. After her career in boxing concluded, Ali began working and appearing on television, hosting and starring in various shows, such as Fashion Police and American Gladiators. She is currently married to former NFL player Curtis Conway.

Jesse Bongiovi

While Jon Bon Jovi may not be an athlete in the traditional sense of the word, or compared to some of the people on this list, his involvement with sports is immense. He was the founder and owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the AFL. He’s also a New England Patriots superfan, based on the amount of time he spends with Robert Kraft.

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Anyway, Jon’s son, Jesse Bongiovi, dreamed as a kid of playing football for Notre Dame, and that dream was lived out when, as a freshman, Jesse walked on to the team. A cornerback by trade but a special teams player by default, Jesse’s career at Notre Dame was underwhelming. After college, Jesse started a rosé business, called Hampton Water.

Nate Montana

The shoes (cleats) may have been too big to fill here for Joe Montana’s third child and oldest son, Nate. Nate walked on to Notre Dame, his father’s alma mater, in 2008. One year later, Nate was playing football at a JUCO college, Pasadena City College. After one year there, Nate returned to Notre Dame where he, again, lasted for just one year before transferring to the University of Montana.

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But Nate wasn’t done and ended up transferring to West Virginia Wesleyan. Legal troubles followed Nate at every turn and transfer. At Notre Dame, he got in trouble for underage drinking, and at Montana, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

James Laurinaitis

A high-profile recruit and standout at Ohio State, James Laurinaitis had quite the career for himself. Laurinaitis, the son of legendary wrestler Joe the Road Warrior Animal, played eight years in the NFL, seven of which were with the St. Louis Rams. In 2017, Laurinaitis hung up his cleats and moved on to broadcasting.

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Considering his father is a Hall of Fame wrestler, James has his second career, should he want it, lined up. Laurinaitis is active on Twitter, with over 44,000 followers. He is a husband and father and can be spotted on television doing some broadcasting and commercials for various brands, such as Papa John’s.

Shareef O’Neal

When you’re Shaq’s son, the spotlight is that much brighter and bigger. Fortunately for Shareef O’Neal, he seems ready to embrace it and the challenge that comes with living up to the O’Neal name. As a kid, Shareef was more into skating than basketball, but after a disappointing AAU game, where critics called the younger Shaq a bust, Shareef kicked it into high gear.

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“I kind of snapped after that and was like, ‘All right, I’m dropping everything. I want to prove everybody wrong,’” he said. O’Neal, a prized recruit, signed with the UCLA Bruins and medically redshirted his freshman year due to a heart condition. Thankfully, that condition has been resolved, and doctors have cleared O’Neal to play.

Cole Anthony

The son of legendary UNLV Runnin’ Rebel and national champion Greg Anthony, Cole Anthony is blazing his own path, one that could see him end up in the NBA as the first overall pick. Anthony starred at Oak Hill Academy, where he was named MVP of the McDonald’s All American Game.

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The talented Anthony was then named the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2019 and opted to attend the University of North Carolina. As the 2019-20 season approaches, look for Anthony to make a major impact at UNC and lead them back to the promised land once again.

Vashti Cunningham

Randall Cunningham was a prolific quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and was a premier running quarterback. He was, to say the least, an exceptional athlete. And it should come as no surprise that his children are excelling in athletics, too. Randall Cunningham II was an NCAA champion in the high jump and a four-time All-American (indoor and outdoor).

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His daughter, Vashti, is no slouch either. Also participating in the high jump, Vashti is a world champion and four-time U.S. champion in indoor high jump. At the 2016 Olympics, Vashti struggled and placed 13th, one of her worst finishes in international competition.

Scotty Pippen Jr.

The list of accolades belonging to Scotty Pippen is immense, incredible, and almost unbelievable. As a member of the famed Bulls teams of the ’90s, Pippen was Michael Jordan’s right-hand man. Now, will Jr. become the player his father was? In all likelihood, no. That being said, Scotty Jr. is primed to have a solid college career that could see him turn pro should things go his way.

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Scotty Jr. was a four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon — yes, the same D-1 factory that LeBron and D-Wade’s kids are attending — and opted to attend Vanderbilt. Based on Vanderbilt’s recent point guard history, the move appears to be a very smart one for little Pippen.

Dennis Rodman Jr.

Five-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dennis Rodman, aka “The Worm,” was an absolute menace. Beneath the crazy hairstyles, tattoos, and piercings was a Hall of Fame basketball player. Not surprisingly, Rodman’s son, Dennis Rodman Jr., has followed suit, albeit with less eccentric looks.

The younger Rodman wasn’t a highly touted recruit coming out of JSerra Catholic High School, and received minimal offers from Division I schools. However, the 6-foot-6 forward did end up signing with the Washington State Cougars with, according to The Seattle Times, a financial aid agreement. In simple terms, this is a way of convincing Rodman Jr. to attend WSU without wasting a scholarship on him.

Bol Bol

Towering over the competition at 7-foot-2 is Bol Bol, the son of one of the tallest NBA players in history, Manute Bol. While in eighth grade, Bol received his first Division I scholarship offer. After bouncing around multiple high schools, Bol settled at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. There, Bol developed his game while becoming a premier, five-star recruit.

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Ultimately, Bol opted to attend the University of Oregon, where he played one injury-plagued season. When he wasn’t hurt, Bol wowed people with sound defense and a surprisingly accurate three-point shot. Sadly, his season ended prematurely after a foot injury, causing his draft stock to tumble. In the 2019 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat selected Bol with the 44th pick before trading him to Denver.

EJ Johnson

EJ Johnson is the son of legendary Laker Magic Johnson. The middle child of Johnson, EJ attended New York University where he studied hospitality. At 17 years old, Johnson came out to his family as gay, and he came out publicly in 2013. EJ gained his fame by starring on the E! television series, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.

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Since gaining his fame, EJ has worked for E! News as a commentator and news personality. EJ, who has battled weight issues for years, opted to undergo gastric sleeve surgery, which helped remove about 80% of his stomach, shrinking its size to that of a banana. EJ has described his father as his biggest cheerleader.

Keyshawn Johnson Jr.

A standout wide receiver at USC, the New York Jets drafted Keyshawn Johnson Sr. with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft. At USC, Johnson was coached by Mike Riley. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver and Super Bowl champion was a force to be reckoned with. And those good hands didn’t stray far from the family.

@keyshawn via Twitter

Keyshawn’s son, Keyshawn Jr., was a four-star receiver in the Class of 2017 and committed to Nebraska, where he was to play for Mike Riley. However, a coaching change and off-field incident cut Jr.’s time at Nebraska short. After returning home to figure out his next move, the young receiver enrolled at the University of Arizona.

Kylie and Kendall Jenner

Anointed the world’s greatest athlete after his record-breaking performance at the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal, Bruce Jenner — now Caitlyn — was America’s heartthrob. He was thrust into the spotlight and successfully remained there for decades. And that spotlight only grew with two things: Bruce becoming Caitlyn, and the wild success of his two daughters, Kylie and Kendall Jenner.

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In 2017, Kendall Jenner, born in 1995, became the world’s highest-paid model according to Forbes. Her sister, Kylie, born in 1997, decided to one-up her by becoming the world’s youngest billionaire. Much of that money can be attributed to Kylie’s hugely popular cosmetics line, Kylie Cosmetics.

Chris Long

The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, Chris Long has made his own legacy since entering the league back in 2008 as the second overall pick out of Virginia. For the second overall pick, Chris has, by many metrics, fallen short of the production associated with such a high draft pick.

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That being said, the two-time Super Bowl champion has made a huge impact off the field, and was the 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Chris’ younger brother Kyle is an NFL offensive lineman and three-time Pro Bowler for the Chicago Bears. Together, the Long family makes up one of the most dominant NFL families ever.

Rohan Marley

Obviously Bob Marley is known as one of the world’s most famous singers. But what many of his fans don’t know is how much he loved to play soccer. Check out this interesting piece on The Undefeated to learn more about his soccer skills and passion. Anyhow, Marley had quite a few kids, one of them being Rohan Marley.

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Rohan was a linebacker at the University of Miami, where he played alongside football greats Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis, as well as Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In 1993, Rohan led Miami in tackles. While playing such a violent sport seems to be a far cry from the loving, down-to-earth man his father was, Rohan seems to be a pretty mellow guy himself. After his CFL career, Rohan started his own line of Jamaican coffee.

Shilo Sanders

One look at this picture is all you need to know. The swag has been inherited, passed down to the next generation, and ready to ball out at the next level. One of the greatest two-sport athletes, Deion Sanders, was also one of the flashiest. It’s what made Deion Deion. Well, Deion’s son, Shilo, appears to be well on the right track toward stardom.

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A four-star recruit, Shilo committed to the University of South Carolina. Although many people were surprised he didn’t attend Florida State, Shilo may have chosen USC because of their Under Armour ties, a brand which sponsors his dad and his high school.

Seth Jones

Popeye Jones had an 11-year NBA career after a legendary career at Murray State University. In the NBA, Jones made stops around the country. One of those stops was in Denver, and that’s where his son Seth picked up hockey. The story goes that Popeye ran into hockey great Joe Sakic while at the Pepsi Center, where the Avalanche and Nuggets played their home games.

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Sakic suggested that Seth learn to skate, and the rest would follow. Sure enough, Popeye’s son developed into one of America’s best players before being drafted fourth overall in 2013 by Nashville. Today, Popeye remains in the NBA as a coach while two of his sons are skating in the NHL.

Shane Larkin

The son of a baseball Hall of Famer and Cincinnati Reds legend, Shane Larkin did not follow in his father’s footsteps. Rather than picking up a bat and glove, Shane opted to pursue a career on the hardwood. After two seasons at the University of Miami, Shane declared for the NBA draft.

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In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected Shane with the 18th pick before sending him to Dallas in a draft-night trade. Larkin’s NBA career has paled in comparison to his father’s MLB career. He’s bounced around multiple teams, had stints in the D-League, and has had to resurrect his career in Europe.

Mike Conley Jr.

The jumps run deep with the Conleys. Mike Conley Sr. was a two-time Olympic medalist, capturing the silver in the triple jump at the 1984 Games and the gold at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Although Conley Sr. played high school basketball, he wasn’t good enough to make a career out of it. His son, Mike Conley Jr., was, however. Conley Jr. was a highly touted recruit who attended Ohio State alongside his high school teammate Greg Oden.

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After one year at OSU, Conley declared for the NBA Draft and was chosen by Memphis with the fourth overall pick. While with the Grizzlies, Conley signed the richest contract in NBA history at the time, a five-year, $153 million deal.

Vlad Guerrero Jr.

Vladimir Guerrero Sr. is consistently referred to as the “best bad ball hitter” in baseball history, meaning there were few pitches that Vlad wouldn’t attempt to impale. Sr. was, during his prime, one of the most-feared hitters in baseball, clobbering long balls at a high clip. In 2018, Sr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Following in his dad’s footsteps is Vlad Jr., a powerful hitter and third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Prior to being called up to the majors, Baseball America ranked Vlad as the top international free agent, while MLB.com ranked him as the fourth-best prospect. Since arriving in Toronto, Vlad has hit and fielded well while giving the Blue Jays some much-needed attention.

Lawrence Taylor Jr.

There wasn’t a more feared player on the gridiron than Lawrence Taylor. If you think otherwise, go find a video of L.T. snapping Joe Theismann’s leg like a chicken bone. Leg snap aside, L.T. was a menacing pass rusher and the prototype for the modern linebacker, capable of rushing the quarterback, stuffing the run, and covering tight ends and backs.

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He, however, had a checkered off-field history. L.T. registered as a sex offender in 2011. His son, Lawrence Jr., did not follow his dad’s footsteps on the football field but did make some eerily similar off-field decisions. In 2015, Jr. pleaded guilty to statutory rape, child molestation, and other crimes. Due to his actions, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 20 years on probation.

Nikko Smith

Baseball Hall of Famer and St. Louis great Ozzie Smith was nicknamed “The Wizard” for a reason. He won 13 consecutive Gold Glove Awards at the shortstop position and established many fielding records during his nearly two-decades-long career. For St. Louis fans, seeing him retire was closing a chapter in the city’s rich history.

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And unlike Vlad Jr., Ozzie Smith’s child, Nikko, was not intent on becoming a pro ballplayer. Nikko, rather, took up a career in singing. In season four of American Idol, Nikko finished in ninth place, and at the 2006 World Series, Nikko sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the same field his father played at.

Nikolai Bonds

A seemingly ubiquitous presence at Giants games during Barry Bonds’ run toward becoming baseball’s home run king, Nikolai Bonds’ fame may have also peaked during that time. The son of Giants slugger Barry, Nikolai sat next to Barry during games, greeted him at home plate following a home run, and was there for every milestone, glued to Bonds like white on rice.

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However, since Barry retired from baseball, Nikolai hasn’t been in the news much, save for a domestic violence incident where he got into it with his mother. Based on his Instagram, Nikolai is living the life and enjoys spending quality time with his pup.

Sam Alexis and Charlie Axel Woods

Golf enthusiasts often claim that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time. His rise to the top was meteoric, and his fall from grace was just as fast and just as shocking. Everyone knows about his cheating scandal that rocked the sports world. Yet, throughout it all, Woods has remained levelheaded, thanks to his two children from his marriage to Elin Nordegren.

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In 2007, Woods had a daughter named Sam Alexis, and two years later he fathered his only son, Axel Woods. Speaking on his children being able to witness their dad win a major for the first time, Woods said, “Their love and their support, I just can’t say enough how much that meant to me … ”